Puzzle.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

E. A. CANNON.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Wi leases IJNiTEio STATES Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent No. 769,532, dated September 6, 1904. Application filed November 10, 1903. Serial No. 180,511. (No model.)

lie it known that I, EDWARD A. CANNON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvcmentsin Puzzles; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide a simple. unique, and interesting puzzle: and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The puzzle is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts througlumt the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the puzzle in what may be termed its normal condition that is, in the condition in which it would be presented to a person who is to attempt to work" the puzzle. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the puzzle is worked; and Fig. 3 is a detail in section,showing one corner portion of the baseboard of the puzzle and illustrating the bayonet-slot which is formed within one of the plug seats or perforations of the said base-board.

The numeral 1 indicates the base-board of the device, the same, as shown, being rectangular. At its four corners the base-board is formed with perforations 2, that are normally closed by plugs 3, which plugs afford feet for supporting the said board. The plugs 3 may be removed from the seats 2 by drawing them downward, and to make their removal somewhat difficult, especially to a person who does not know that they can be removed, the said seats 2 are provided with bayonet-slots A and the plugs are provided with lugs 5, which lugs and slots cooperate to form bayonet-joints. As shown, there are four plugs 3, and these plugs at their upper ends are securely attached to so-called corner-cords 6, which cords at their other ends-to wit, at their upper ends are secured together, being advisably permanently attached to a knob T.

A so-called loop-cord 8 is passed through a ring 9, and both ends of the said cord 8 are passed lirst downward through perforations 10 in the base-board .1, then upward through perforations 11 thereof, and thence through the intermediate loop formed by said cord above the board 1 and outward of the ring 9, both ends of the loop being permanently secured to the knob T. This condition of the puzzle is indicated in Fig. 1 and is the condition thereof in which the ring 9 is held by the loop-cord 8 in such manner that to most persons, at least, it would appear impossible to remove the ring without cutting the loopcord. The ring may, however, be easily removed by a person understanding how to work the puzzle. It may be here noted that in Fig. 1 the looped intermediate portion of the cord 8 embraces its own end portions, but lies wholly within the space embraced by the four corner-cords 6.

The puzzle may be worked as follows: First, draw one of the plugs 3 downward out of its perforation 2, then draw the looped intermediate portion of the loop-cord 8 downward through the open perforation 2, and then pass the removed plug 3 through the depending portions of said loops, as shown in Fig. 2. After this has been done draw the loop of said cord 8 again upward through the said perforation 2 and replace the plug 3 in working position within its seat 2. This manipulation has the effect of throwing the loop of the cord 8 around and outward of the corner-cord 6 which was drawn through the loop of the said cord 8, asjust described. The dotted lines at the left in Fig. 2 show the loop of the cord 8 thrown outward or around the corner-cords, as just described. Now it is evident that by repeating the action just above described at the other three corners of thedeviee the loop of the loopcord 8 will be thrown outward of or around all four of tho corner-cords 6, and this being done the said loop of said cord 8 may be freely raised over the knob 7 and turned into the position shown in Fig. 2 by dotted lines, in which position, as is evident, the ring 9 may be freely removed from the said loop. Thus the puzzle may be easily worked by a person understanding the proper manipulation. By a person not understanding in advance the proper manipulation to work the puzzle the working of the puzzle will be found difficult and frequently practically impossible. A person working the puzzle must first discover that the knobs, which appear to be simply supporting-feet, can be removed from the base-board, and hence the locking of said plugs to the said base-board by interlocking or bayonet joints makes the discovery of the first manipulation in working the puzzle a more difficult matter. I do not, however, propose always to use the interlocking bayonet-joint for the above purpose or to limit myself to interlocking plugs.

As is evident, the ring 9 and other parts of the puzzle will be restored to their normal conditions (shown in Fig. 1) by reversing the order of the several manipulations above described for working the puzzle and removing the ring.

The puzzle described is of course capable of modification within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed. For instance,

the ends of the loop-cord 8 instead of being passed twice through the base-board might be passed through eyes or loops secured on the base-board, although this latter construction would not be the full equivalent of the former, since the former arrangement makes it more diflicult to discover the manner of working the puzzle. Again, the base-board instead of being rectangular might be round or of any other desired form, and any desired number of so-called corner-cords might be employed. The ring 9, so called, will take various forms and need not have the form of a true ring, it only being necessary that it have a suitable perforation for the passage therethrough of the so-called loop-cord.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In apuzzle, the combination witha baseboard having marginal perforations, of corner-plugs detachably fitting said marginal perforations, and having engagements therewith which maintain said plugs in working position under ordinary handling, said plugs affording feet for supporting said base-board, corner-cords attached one to each plug and united at their other ends, a loop-cord, the ends of which are passed first downward and then upward through perforations in said base-board and through the loop formed by its own intermediate portion, and are attached to the ends of said corner-cords, and a ring held by the loop of the said loop-cord, substantially as described.

2. In a puzzle, the combination with a baseboard 1 having perforations 2, plugs 3 fitting said perforations 2 and interlocking therewith, by bayonet-joints, corner-cords 6 secured to each plug 3 and united at their other ends, a loop-cord 8, the ends of which are passed first downward, then upward through the perforations in the said loop-cord, through the loop formed by its own intermediate portions and having ends united with the connected ends of said cords 6, and a ring 9 normally held by the loop of said cord 8, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A. CANNON.

Witnesses:

E. H. KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT. 

